Chapter 8: The Golden Bellsprout
Under the cool shade of a sprawling tree, a girl sat on a park bench. Her hair was a bright blonde, distinctively styled with pink and blue streaks running through her bangs. She wore a vibrant orange-red jumper dress layered over a white off-shoulder shirt.
It was Risa.
I stood leaning against the trunk of the same tree, watching her.
"By the way, Risa," I broke the silence. "Why don't you bring your Pokémon out? You should try to bond with it."
Hearing my suggestion, Risa's eyes lit up with realization. She grabbed the Poké Ball from her belt.
"Come on out, my new friend! Eevee!"
Pop!
With a flash of white light, the small brown Pokémon materialized on the grass. Eevee shook its fur and looked up at me, then at Risa.
Risa crouched down to be at eye level, a warm smile on her face. "Will you be my friend, Eevee?"
"Vee..." Eevee huffed and immediately turned its head away, giving her the cold shoulder.
Risa's face fell. "Oh..."
"It's upset because you used another trainer's Pokémon to battle and catch it," I explained gently, walking over to pet Pikachu. "But don't worry. It will warm up to you soon enough. My Pikachu was exactly the same way when we first met. He wouldn't listen to a word I said. But look at us now—we're best buddies."
"Pika!" Pikachu chirped in agreement, nuzzling my hand.
Comforted by my words, Risa nodded. "Okay, I'll be patient."
Soon enough, Eevee's curiosity got the better of it. It started looking at Pikachu, and before long, the two of them were playing a game of Tag—or rather, Cops and Robbers.
Pikachu was the thief, and Eevee was the police officer.
"Eevee! Eevee!" (Stop right there, Thief Pikachu! The long arm of the law is coming for you! You can't escape my clutches!)
"Pika Pika!" (Catch me if you can, Officer! Police from nine different regions have tried to catch me, but none have succeeded yet!)
Zoom! Swish!
They dashed around the trees, laughing and tumbling in the grass. Eventually, Eevee managed to pounce on Pikachu, pinning him down playfully.
"Eev-voi!" (Ha! Told you you couldn't escape me!)
While they were playing, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. A wild Pokémon stepped out into the clearing.
At first glance, it looked like a standard Bellsprout—a thin, plant-like body with a bell-shaped head. But as the sunlight hit it, I realized this was no ordinary Pokémon.
Its leaves weren't green; they were a shimmering, metallic gold.
My eyes widened. "That's... a Shiny Bellsprout."
It was incredibly rare. And according to my knowledge of this timeline this was one of the few Pokémon capable of achieving Mega Evolution in its final form.
"Jackpot," I whispered.
I stepped onto the grassy field, my eyes locked on the golden prize. Pikachu, sensing my intent, immediately stopped playing. He shook off the grass and leaped in front of me, sparks dancing on his cheeks.
"Pika Pika!"
He was ready for battle.
I analyzed the situation quickly. "Pikachu, listen to me. Don't attack it directly yet. Use Iron Tail on the ground around it!"
"Pika?" Pikachu looked confused by the strategy—why hit the floor?—but he trusted me implicitly.
"Chuuuu... Pika!"
WHAM!
Pikachu's tail turned into hardened steel, and he slammed it into the earth with tremendous force.
CRACK! RUMBLE!
The ground shattered. Debris and large chunks of earth were sent flying into the air. The Shiny Bellsprout, caught in the shockwave, was launched upward, standing precariously on a flying clod of dirt.
I smirked. My plan was perfect.
I knew that Bellsprouts could use their roots to ground themselves, rendering electric attacks useless by channeling the voltage into the earth. They were also incredibly flexible, able to bend their bodies 90 degrees to dodge physical strikes like Tackle or Quick Attack.
But now? It was airborne. Its connection to the ground was severed. It couldn't ground the electricity, and it couldn't dodge in mid-air.
"Now, Pikachu! It's time to end this!" I spun my hat backward. "Use Pika Papow!"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded. He leaped high into the air, level with the floating Bellsprout.
BZ-Z-Z-Z-T!
Yellow electricity erupted from his body, but it didn't just shoot out randomly. Five jagged bolts of lightning struck the air around the Bellsprout, creating a locking circle, trapping it in a cage of energy.
Then, the main payload fired.
KA-BOOM!
A massive, thick pillar of yellow lightning slammed directly into the Shiny Bellsprout.
"Bell...!"
The Pokémon crashed down from the sky, slamming into the ground. Smoke rose from its body, and swirls appeared in its eyes. It was completely knocked out.
"Haa... Haa..."
"Pika... haa..."
Both Pikachu and I were panting heavily. The Partner Moves were incredibly powerful, but they relied on the Bond Phenomenon. They drew stamina not just from the Pokémon, but from the Trainer as well. I could feel the exhaustion weighing down my limbs.
'System,' I thought, wiping sweat from my brow. 'Buy three Healing Potions from the Store.'
[ Ding! ]
[ Host has purchased 3 Healing Potions (100% Recovery). ]
[ Price: 250 Points each. Total: 750 Purchase Points deducted. ]
A small vial materialized in my hand. I uncorked it and downed the contents in one gulp.
Gulp.
Almost instantly, a cool sensation washed over me. The fatigue vanished in two seconds flat, replaced by a surge of energy.
"Wow," I muttered. Then I grabbed another potion and knelt beside my partner. "Here, Pikachu. Drink this. You'll feel better instantly."
Pikachu nodded weakly and drank from the bottle with his small hands.
Shimmer...
A soft green light enveloped Pikachu's body.
"Pika!" Within five seconds, he jumped up, bursting with energy. He ran in a circle, checking his body, amazed that the exhaustion was completely gone.
I stood up and walked over to the unconscious golden plant.
"From today on, you're going to be the first member of my Johto team," I said with a grin. "Go, Poké Ball!"
I tapped the red-and-white sphere against the Bellsprout's head.
Zwoop!
The Shiny Bellsprout was sucked inside as red light engulfed it. The ball fell to the grass and shook.
Wiggle...
Wiggle...
Click!
The successful capture sound echoed in the clearing. I picked up the Poké Ball and held it up to the sun.
"Haha! I caught my first Shiny Pokémon!"
"Come on out, Shiny Bellsprout!"
I tossed the Poké Ball into the air.
'Pop!'
With a flash of brilliant white light, the golden Bellsprout appeared on the grass. Thanks to the brief rest inside the ball, it looked slightly more stable, though still weakened from our battle.
"Here, drink this," I said, holding out another potion. "You'll feel better in five seconds, Bellsprout."
The Shiny Bellsprout looked at me. It had already accepted me as its trainer. Living a life of isolation because of its unique color—struggling to find food in the jungle and often having it stolen by stronger Pokémon—had made it wary. But my actions had earned its trust.
"Bellsprout! Bellsprout!"
It nodded eagerly, grabbing the potion with its leaf-like hands. It popped the cap and downed the liquid in one gulp.
'Gulp.'
Almost instantly, the healing liquid mixed with Bellsprout's internal acids. A soft glow enveloped its body as its injuries vanished.
"Bellsprout! Bellsprout!"
Feeling fully recovered, the Shiny Bellsprout hopped around in joy. However, moments later, its eyelids began to droop.
'Yawn...'
Despite the physical healing, the mental exhaustion from the battle remained. Potions could fix wounds, but they couldn't cure fatigue.
To be continued...